Safety starting and igniting mechanism.



A. WINTON.

. SAFETY STARTING AND IGNITING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTFZO IBM.

1,011,693, Patented De0.12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

Kg W I mm,

)Xhkunogo L x Y a A l W .5 W 1 6130m A. WINTON. I

SAFETY STARTING AND IGNITING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1904. y I

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

q/vllinzbow I ALEXANDER WINTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

SAFETY STARTING AND IGNITING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Dec. 12. 1911 Application filed September 20, 1904. Serial No.225,205.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER IN TON, a citizen of the United States,residing at- Cleveland, in the county of Cnyahoga and btate of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety StartingandIgniting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing. This invention relatestosafety starting and igniting mechanism, for explosive engines, inwhich a handeontrolled ignition lead-is used, and the primary object ofthe invention is to so arrange the ignition lead mechanism and thestarting mechanism, that when the starting member is applied, theignition lead and the hand-controlled member therefor are both carriedthereby to the position for effecting a late sparking in the cycle ofthe cylinder or cylinders of the engine, and thus prevent a reversemotion of the engine which in large engines is very dangerous, and isknown as kicking back.

The present invention is especially intended for use in connection withmotor-driven vehicles using explosive engines as the m0- tive power.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is a top plan view of a portionof the frame of a motor vehicle, its motor, and my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional view of the steering postand its cohperating parts. Fig. 3, is a detached view showing a variablemake-and break circuit closer for an electric ignition system. Fig. i,is a detail of the starting crank socket. Fig. 5, is a detached invertedperspective view of the ratchet segment and the controlling lever.

. A portion of the side bars of the vehicle frame are designated by 1and 2 is a fourcylinder, four-cycle explosive engine, the constructionand operation of which is immaterial to the present invention, and is sowell understood by those skilled in the art that an explanation thereofis unnecessary.

As here shown, the crank-shaft of the engine extends in a directionlongitudinal the vehicle, and its front end 3 projects and forms astarting member for the starting crank or handle 4. As here shown, thestem 5 of the starting handle is supported by a cross-bar 6 at its outerend, and its inner end by a bearing 7 suitably supported.

A collar 8 is rigidly attached to the stem 5, and an expanding spring 9is placed between the collar and the bearing 7, and serves to normallyhold the starting handle in an outward position as shown in Fig. 1. Theinner end of the stem 5 of the start ing handle is provided with asocket 10 having spirally-arranged slot or slots 11 adapted to engage apin 12 upon the shaft 13, when the starting handle is forced inward inengagement therewith. Owingto the spiral arrangement of the slots 11,when the crank is forced inward and given a partial turn,-there is asutlicient locking action to hold it there as long as it is beingturned, thus relieving the necessity for further inward pressure. When,however, the engine starts, the spiral grooves force the socket out ofengagement with the pins 12, and the spring 9 will carry the socketoutward .and

.entirely away from the shaft 3, and out of the way of the lever 19which is connected with the ignition lead, as will be fully eX- plainedhereinafter. This arrangement prevents the necessity of any ball orother form of ratchet device for operatively connecting anddisconnecting the starting handle'or crank with the starting member ofthe engine.

Any suitable form of variable ignition lead maybe used, but the formhere shown is that illustrated in Fig.3, in which there is a travelingelectric conductor let connected with a shaft 15 suitably geared to theengine shaft (not shown) so thatit rotates. The conductor is heldnormally against the inner side of an oscillatingrring 16 by a suitablespring 16. Carried at the inner side of the ring and flushtherewith arethe electrical contacts 17 one for each cylinder, and they are providedwith projecting stems 18 as shown. The stems 18 and the travelingcontact or conductor 14c are placed within an electric circuit (notshown) and which is well, understood by those skilled in this art. Byoscillating the ring 16 which car ries the contacts 17, thetime ofignition in the cycle of ,the engine can be regulated, as is well knownand understood.

The lever '19 has its outer end pivoted at the point 20, and has itsinner swinging end 21 extending in the path of a shoulder or flange 22formed on the stem of the starting handle or crank, and as here shownadjacent. its inner end. A bell crank lever 23 is intermediatelypivoted, and has one end connected by a rod 24 with the oscillatingcontact ring 16, and its opposite end connected 1 by a rod 25 with acrank arm 26 at the lower end of a vertically-arranged oscillating rod27. This rod 27 is j ournaled to or supported by a standard or tube 28through which the steering rod 29 passes. The upper end of the rod isprovided with a controlling handle 30, by means of which the rod can beoscillated, and through the connections just described, the contact ring16 oscillated for regulating and controlling the ignition lead. of theengine at the will of the driver.

It is necessary. that some means be provided for holding the ignitionlead at the adjusted point, and this may be varied. The manner hereshown is that preferred by me, and it consists of a ratchet segment 31extending from the upper end of the tube or standard 28, and at a pointto be engaged by the said controlling handle 30. I

The operation of my invention is as follows: Referring to Figs. '1 and3, the parts ,are shown with the ignition lead advanced to theeXtreme,-and it will be seen that all the parts are in such a positionthat the ignition lead can be freely adjusted to any point in theopposite direction for delaying the ignitionlead in respect to the cycleof the engine at the will of the-driver. With the lead in the positionjust referred to it is not possible to start the engine by hand, and itis necessary that the lead be carried to the opposite adjustment todelay ignition until the engine crank has reached or passed center. Inthe construction here shown, this is accomplished automatically when thestarting handle 5 is carried into operative engagement with the startingmember 3 of the engine, because the shoulder or'sleeve 22 engages thelever 19 and forces it, and by its connections, moves the contact ring16 to delayed ignition, and also forces the'con-. trolling lever 30against'the holding means to the position of delayed ignition. That isto say, when thestarting handle is carried to interlock with the engineshaft, it moves the lever 19, and by the intermediate connection, movesthe controlling lever 30 over the ratchet teeth of the segment 31, whichit engages lightly. The size of the teeth of the segment 31 are hereshown exaggerated for the purposes of illustration. The engine beingstarted, the starting crank stem is carricd out of the way of the partsby the spring 9, and-the operator can then adjust Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat;

ent, is

In an automobile, the combination of an explosiveengine, a variablesparking mechanism, a vertically arranged steering post, avertically-arranged oscillating member supported by the post andcarrying an operating handle at its upper end, and a crank at I itslower end, a bell-crank lever located between the variable sparkingmechanism and the said crank, a connection between one end of thebell-crank lever and said crank, a connection between the other endofsa-id-bellcrank lever and the sparking mechanism, a starting memberadapted by endwise movement to interlock with the engine for rotatingthe latter, a movable member located in the endwise movable path of thestarting. member to be moved thereby and aconneotion between the movablemember and said bell-crank lever to throw the sparking mechanism for alate spark in thecycle-of the engine.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ALEXANDER \VINTON, Witnesses: HAROLD B. ANDERSON,

CHAS. B. sI-IANKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). 0.

